Saturday, March 31, 2007

We went to Dayton and walked around the National Museum of the United States Air Force, which is really cool. Hundreds of planes and jets and missiles and stuff. So much to see - and so much walking! We're all exhausted. Si has a bad cold, too, which I didn't realize. You know how you never know if it's just allergies or sniffles or what . . . but we tired him out so much today that he was pretty bad tonight. Hopefully a day of good rest tomorrow will leave him ready for school and his friend's birthday party Monday night. Sigh.

March 27Started another hat today. I just feel like I always need something mindless and chunky on the needles for those moments of the day when my brain doesn't work at all but my hands need to keep moving.

March 29One of my WordCraft friends was in town for a conference so a few of us met up for dinner! Me, Nancy (from Chicago) and Anita (also from here in town) . . . Mike and Simon were there, too, but they wanted to take pictures, not be in them.

March 30I got home from work and Si was very excited - he finally had his chalks out for the first picture of the season - can you guess which Civil War General this is? He's very excited about hopefully participating in another Via Colori this coming Fall. He did it a few years ago, and loved the experience of sharing his art with the public.

I'd started this pair of socks a week or so ago, and it's some of the most lovely yarn! It's infused with Aloe and Jojoba Oil, and it's so soft and good to touch. I finally figured out, though, that what I really want to make with this is gloves, so that someone's hands can benefit from all this soft conditioning goodness. I've been searching and I've found what looks to be a good glove pattern for sock weight yarn. It's actually for Opera Gloves, but I'm just using it as a guide for shaping the hands and doing the fingers. I'll be working on these for a while, but I figure I've got all summer, right? They'll have nice, long, fold-up-able cuffs because I am not tinking out this beautiful ribbing!

I seem to have start-itis! I decided to just start another neck scarf. I sure hope this is enough yarn to make one of these! It's such a fun, easy pattern and turns out such a beautiful product. Another thing that I don't know who it will be for, though.

I think all this project starting is a symptom that I am nervous about moving forward on my tank top/shell thing. Grr. I need to shape the neck, so that means I need to do math again. BLAH!

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

I spent quite some time yesterday fiddling with badges on Simon's scout uniform. Every time he changes rank he gets a new badge to put on his left breast pocket. I switched it out 2 weeks ago, and already he needed the 1st class badge. (nah, I'm not proud or anything!)

We also finally got him the sash for all his other badges, and his patrol badge (the Native American in red and white). His patrol name is "Insane Indians" which bothers Simon, but it is what the patrol leader chose, so that's that. As you can see he also has 7 badges on his sash. Yay! He hopes to get 6 more badges at camp this summer, and he's currently working on orienteering and hiking. Cool, huh? Next Monday I'll try to get a pic of him in his full uniform again. Boy, he's handsome!

Sunday, March 25, 2007

March 21 (yes, we have dates again!)Spring has sprung! There are even more beautiful little crocusii in my garden today than earlier this week when I took this pic! yay! We also have paperwhites blooming. Ahh - spring!

March 22The cats love to join me when I'm knitting. My lap is warm, I don't shift or move much, and there is that lovely, tantalizing, moving yarn to nibble at when they can stay awake! Sam, however, usually can't stay awake.Also in this pic are my falling-apart jeans. Mom - you'd be happy. When I first wore these jeans to the Knitwits group, they all made fun of me! I know, I know, you don't want to hear that I wear them in public, but SOMEtimes on my day off I need to REBEL! And let's face it, if my version of being REALLY rebellious is to wear falling-apart jeans - well - how bad can I be?

March 23I've dug out my shell again, with the goal of completing it in time for Easter. I've started the fancy cabled yoke part, and it's complicated, so I can only do it when I'm sharp and not overly distracted by life or TV or whatever. This is NOT something I could take to Friday morning Knitwits! Or to book group! But it should certainly be something I"ll WEAR to those kinds of places (to show it off!)

March 24I still need to weave in the ends and felt this - but don't you think this will be a fun Easter basket? Small, but fun - and it was a stash-buster!

March 25Every homemade sweater deserves a matching hat, don't you think? Especially when there is enough leftover yarn. This is for Mikey - knit to his specifications (longer in the head, not too tight in the ribbing . .. blah blah blah). :-) Next, I think I'll make him matching booties.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

I promised you more pics and here they are! First we have Simon, sporting the new red and black cabled scarf I made him. He loves it! It's from Baby Alpaca Grand, just like the scarf and hat I made my dad.

Here is Kushi, the newly adopted daughter of our friends, the James'. She is absolutely delightful, and is still learning English (being newly moved here from India). She's wearing the sweet little hat Megan made for her. Having never seen snow before, Megan tells great stories of Kushi needing to be convinced that she needed pants and socks and boots to go outside last month. She does seem to like the hat, though, but the shirt and pants she has on the in the picture were the 3rd or 4th outfit we saw her in that afternoon. She loves wearing pretty skirts!

This is Megan, taken by Kushi. She really liked using the camera.

I bought this beautiful yarn at the Merc when Cider Moon was having their trunk show there. It's some of the most wonderful yarn I've ever used. I absolutely adore the colors and have been fondling it for a long time trying to decide what to make. I finally settled on the moebius cowl.

I added some extra stitches to the circumfrence and I wish I'd had a second skein because I was hoping for more of a shawl-like garment . . . but as you can see I used nearly all the yarn and the scarf is only about 8 inches wide. Next time I"ll get 2!!!

And before you say anything don't worry - I know it doesn't go so well with my tie-dye.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

I've been feeling icky since returning from San Jose, and I'm just now feeling like I have energy and time to do work and home AND blogging, so here goes. This is the little Carnegie library in 'da hood of San Jose - my friend Jim took us there. Cute!

Here is Jim - we met his wife, Viki, too, and we had a great evening together having awesome sushi and then coffee outside. Lovely! I know Jim from the Wordcraft site - see the link to the right.

This is my Lillehammer hat. DH is modeling it for me, and it's his now. He's even given it a test-wear while birding last Saturday. He says it looks silly, but it sure kept him warm! Maybe it's a little too femme for him. Who shall get it, then?

The moebius baskets and the Lamb's Pride Chunky yarn have, since I discovered them, inspired me to think about the new CML logo. It's the colors. One of our PR folks is a pink addict, and I just finally got around to making this basket for her. I thought I'd snapped a pic of it after felting, but alas, I didn't. It awaits her return from her vacation on her desk, filled with pink candy.

And the final pic posted today is my new sock. This is yarn that I got in NYC, infused with aloe vera and jojoba oil. It's lovely to work with, and I'm really enjoying the colors. Come back tomorrow for more pictures. :-)

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

I found this great site from the American Red Cross that has links to the patterns they used to use for knitting for the troops. One of the patterns even has a size circled, so you know they were owned by actual knitters. A cool part of our history, huh?

Monday, March 05, 2007

To be honest, other than working I have no real memory of what I did weekend before last. I obviously didn't do anything picture-worthy. I'll start again with Monday - and this week will need to take 2 days to post, so I might not take pics this week much. I am sick - blah. You honestly don't want to see me now . . . and you most definitely do not want to hear me. As my Uncle Dick would say "I sound like Tallulah Bankhead on a bad day."

Monday, Feb. 26. Simon finally received his wonderful Star Wars model - ordered from lego.com with some of his Christmas money. Isn't it cool? I forget what ship this is. Simon will be embarrassed that I don't know, he's told me a dozen (or more) times.

Tuesday, Feb. 27. I was in the mood for a new scarf - took me about 2 hours to knit. I wish I'd shaped it differently, but it'll do. The colors are good.

Wednesday, Feb. 28 I flew to San Jose, CA. Golly, it's a long trip. This is the view from our room. My Roomie, Jenn, I am convinced, has Good Hotel Karma. She checked us in and they gave us this TOP FLOOR ROOM! It was really beautiful - the room was great, the bathroom was huge (marble, huge tub, seperate shower stall, etc) and the service was nice. There did seem to be a terrible water leak in another room on our floor, though, and I think it stirred up some nasty mold or something because it aggravated my lungs and I've now got some kind of wheezing thing. Not to worry - it didn't really come on til Saturday.Thursday, Mar. 1Jenn and I explored San Jose. We did a LOT of walking. I liked this quote outside the Tech Museum: Optimism is an essential ingredient for innovation. How else can the individual welcome change over security, adventure over staying in safe places?" Bob Noyce. Anyone know who that is? Me neither.